COUNCIL boss John Mutton says Birmingham have been "trying and trying" to convince The Pope to visit their city instead of Coventry.

The plug was officially pulled yesterday on Pope Benedict XVI’s huge open-air mass at Coventry Airport, after months of planning.

The church has switched the venue for September’s visit to the much smaller Cofton Park in Birmingham.

And Coun Mutton said: “Obviously, there will be a large number of Catholics and maybe a number of non-Catholics who will be disappointed.

“However, I can understand the reason given. Birmingham is not the other end of the country and people will still be able to go there for the day.”

Coun Mutton said he was told the decision was made by the Vatican, and advisers from Rome had visited Coventry since March, when the Coventry visit was first announced.

The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols became Archbishop of Westminster last year, after nine years as the Archbishop of Birmingham.

Coun Mutton, reacting to speculation yesterday before he received the Most Rev Nichols’ phone call, said: “Birmingham has been trying and trying to get the Pope to come to Birmingham, not Coventry.

“I know Birmingham had their nose put out of joint. They don’t like their near neighbour being chosen ahead of them. Coventry getting Olympic football was another smack in the mouth for them.”

The event at Coventry Airport had been planned for Sunday, September 19, and was expected to bring money into the city with the arrival of vast numbers of pilgrims.

It was expected to attract up to 200,000, 100,000 short of the size of the crowd for Pope John Paul II’s historic visit there 28 years ago.

Catholics in Coventry had celebrated in March when Pope Benedict’s visit here was reportedly confirmed by Buckingham Palace.

The archdiocese of Birmingham said as recently as last week the Coventry event would still definitely go ahead, despite speculation of the switch to Birmingham.

The official final itinerary for the Pope’s four-day UK visit, to be funded by the church, was expected next month.

A Coventry working group, headed by Canon Tom Farrell, was set up months ago to plan the event, including transport and ticketing arrangements, health and safety, music by chorists from across the country and catering.

A throne for the Pope to sit on, a lecturn and altar were even to be designed by staff and students from Cardinal Newman Catholic School, in Keresley.